Ponder The Racket III
Posted by Brodie under: Ponder The Racket, USO
I know this is the lazy way out but… it’s hard to find things to get excited about when you can’t actually watch tennis.
- I’ve got thoughts on the whole Serena thing, and I’ve been reading about it… but I’ve somehow got writers block. There will be a post up soon enough, I promise.
- Just as a quick disclaimer, I’ll be doing my top 12 USO seeds/favourites going into the USO on Sunday just like I did for Wimbledon. There will be one every hour.
- While people continue to crap all over Caro for playing New Haven, put yourself in her shoes for two seconds. She’s the two time defending champ, and had never found success in Canada until this year. This year, she wins Montreal… a bit tough to pull out of a struggling tournament that pimps your shit as a two time defending champion. Oh, and there’s hot football guys there. Tough situation to pull out of. Hell, she won New Haven last year and made the finals of the USO, don’t count her out just yet.
- On the other hand, I haven’t the slightest clue as to why Marcos is there. He had a great Cincy, there’s no use in playing New Haven.
- Just retire James Blake, while you still have an ounce of dignity. Word on the street is that he’s considering playing Challengers and Futures to get his game back into shape. Dude, I know you’re a bald American, but you ain’t Andre.
- Trying to use lead up tournaments as a “preview” to a slam is a bit silly, but I really think the WTA Cincy final might be a sign of things to come.
- Bloody hell Nike, you can’t afford/figure out a few cameras streaming video and sound in sync? Figure that shit out. Just do it.
- Is a former top 10 player with top 10 talent and 3 time slam finalist really a dark horse for a slam? Dinara isn’t in the top 50 right now due to injury, but could you imagine people calling Serena a dark horse if she was out of the top 50 due to injury? Silly. Oh, and Dinara is really beginning to find her old form, but she’s got a long way to go. So she’s not a dark horse anyway.
- Never forget, the USO is a fast surface. Has the non-USA tennis universe forgotten about Andy Roddick?
- Are slams really as long and gruelling as we make them out to be? Mentally, sure. But physically? 7 matches (albeit tough matches, and 5 setters for the men) in 14 days isn’t insanity. Just think about Delpo last year, making the finals of Washington and Montreal. My point? I don’t think all this Nalby hype is ridiculous. He’s looking fit, he’s got momentum, and the backhand is pure insanity right now.
New Haven gave Marcos a WC last year when no other tournaments would and he’d said he would be back the next year. Just keeping a promise.
Nice! What a sweet guy.
Looking forward to your seeds. I’ve already made mine. Have a feeling we might be close. Even with Nalby & Sveta.
I figured out why Marcos would play New Haven, aside from his keeping a promise & being a man of his word: Should he go on as the #1 seed to WIN the tournament, he will collect 70 points in that US Open Olympus challenger bonus money deal, that would allow him to barely nudge out Federer and Murray into first place; thus potentially doubling his earnings from the U.S. Open. $2Million bucks can be very motivating!
Courtney wrote about it: http://cowbell.typepad.com/forty_deuce/2010/08/promise-keeper.html
Cheers. I’ll admit I’ve been semi out of the loop of late.
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